The present invention relates generally to desoldering tools and more particularly to a tool to desolder and remove single and multi-lead electronic components that are mounted on a printed circuit board with no damage to the component or the printed circuit board and surrounding circuitry.
Present desoldering tools, though capable of desoldering soldered connections, have numerous disadvantages due to their construction, size, method of use and overall cost to purchase and maintain. Most of the desoldering tools presently utilized for removal of soldered electronic components are limited to the heating of the component leads individually or collectively in the surrounding mounting surface to the point that the solder is molten. The electronic component is then manually extracted from the mounting surface in a separate operation. Further, damage to the mounting surface frequently employing copper-clad circuitry can result from the prolonged application of heat.
An example of a prior art desoldering tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,980, entitled Component Removal Device, issued to Charles A. Clas, Jr., et al. on Feb. 29, 1972. The apparatus disclosed employs a trough of molten solder that has been heated to a high temperature as a heating medium. The mounted electronic component is positioned on a support platform above the heating medium in a set of jaws retracted to grip the component. The combination is then lowered in such a manner that the protruding component leads only contact the heating medium and the securing solder is melted without the mounting surface being heating appreciatively. Once the securing solder has been melted the component is physically removed from the mounting surface by action of the gripping jaws. While the desoldering tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,980 provides fairly effective solutions to some of the above-mentioned disadvantages, it represents some drawbacks of its own. Because of its physical size and complexity, the desoldering apparatus is not portable and tends to be unwieldy and difficult to use in a small working space. Further, use of the tool requires that the leads of the mounted component protrude through the printed circuit board or other mounting surface.